Dave Kitson fears that the wear and tear of professional football will force him to quit at the age of 30.

In an exclusive interview, the 25-year-old striker also told the Evening Post that he thinks he will never become a top Premiership player, despite earning rave reviews in his first full season in the Championship as he banged in 19 goals.

Kitson's 6ft 3in frame has taken a battering this year.

He needed a series of injections for a medial knee-ligament injury to get him ready for the first game of the season. And he suffered a more serious knee injury last season, as well as ongoing hip problems.

"I don't think I will play the game for very long," said the former Cambridge United man. "I'll probably only play until I'm about 30. My body is just not made for playing football.

"My knee and my hip give me problems now and then and over time with wear and tear it could become worse.

"But the most important thing is what goes on in your head and I don't want to be just a run-of-the-mill footballer."

Kitson arrived from Abbey Stadium for a bargain £150,000 on Boxing Day 2003 and has become one of Reading's key players as the club attempts to reach the Premiership. He netted Royals' second goal in their 2-0 win at Brighton in midweek.

However, despite his late start in the game and remarkable rise through the professional ranks, he suspects he will never reach the very top.

He added: "If I get to 30 then I will know that I have had the best of my career. It kills me that I can't be as good as some players.

"I make mistakes, but I try to score goals to win us matches and I think I am good at this level, - same as I was good when I was at Arlesey and Cambridge.

"And I don't think I will ever end up playing for a huge team. If I moved from Reading where would I go?

"I don't want to play for an average Premiership side, I want to be good enough to play at the very top and play for England, but I don't think that it's going to happen.

"I think the best days of my career will be with Reading, but I will give it my best because I love playing football and the buzz of the 90 minutes."